Death Days
by Kram Nebuer
Summary: Death days are unpredictable…to everyone, but one certain wizard. Somewhat AU, TAKES PLACE DURING OotP. Please don't read if you haven't read the 5th book.


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Death Days

Summary: Death days are unpredictable…to everyone, but one certain wizard. Somewhat AU, takes place during OotP. This is all there's going to be, unless you want it to be revised.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the Harry Potter series or its creator and licensed owners and whatnot. I only own this story and being as this is a site for fictions based on favorite characters and all that, this story happens to contain characters and settings not owned by the author.

Thestrals are leathery, reptilian, winged horses that can only be seen by those who have seen death itself. That's why Harry Potter finally noticed their presence in his 5th year. Hagrid could obviously see them, seeing as he cared and fed them. Though, one day, Hagrid said he was busy with other things to do his usual duties, so he needed someone to feed the Thestrals. Of course, entering the Forbidden Forest was forbidden. Just look at its name, for Pete's sake! Though, Harry knew the Thestrals needed to be cared for, so he sadly agreed.

"Harry, you're a fool for doing this," Hermione said as she and Harry carried a crate of dead chickens into the forest. Ron was training for Quidditch and the Slytherins were watching, singing "Weasley is Our King" for the umpteenth time. Though everyone hated this song, Harry and Hermione were glad that everyone's attention was at the Quidditch field. This was the perfect opportunity to go into the forest.

"We made a promise to Hagr-"

"_You_ made a promise!"

"Okay, _I_ made a promise, and I intend to keep it. What are you coming for anyway?" Harry asked as they entered the forest.

"I'm just here to make sure you do nothing stupid…ugh, the smell of these chickens is horrid!" Hermione said, coughing.

"Well, that's good then. The Thestrals will smell it and come to us," Harry said, stepping over more roots and branches. They took the winding path made by Hagrid and then soon the two were so deep in the forest that day turned into night. They had lit their wands to see.

"Are any o-o-of them here yet?" Hermione asked, turning her head wildly around.

"Yeah, I see two…no wait three…" Harry said, three Thestrals emerging from the wood.

"Okay, just leave the crate now and lets get out of here," Hermione said. They opened the crate and dumped its contents of dead chickens. More Thestrals emerged and raced towards the food. "Okay, let's go now before practice ends..."

"Wait, there's one more in here," Harry said, grabbing a dead chicken from the bottom of the crate. As he prepares to throw it into the heap, a particularly gruff and rather sick looking Thestral lunged at Harry's hand and grabbed the chicken. "Ow! Watch it!"

"Watch what?" Hermione said, turning to see Harry. "Harry, your hand!" It started bleeding heavily and Harry looked paler than usual.

"It just bit me that's all…" Harry said.

"You better go to the Hospital Wing; Thestral bites can be very serious!"

"No way! You want to tell her I got this from feeding Thestrals in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Well, you better wrap it or something…I'll make some more pickled murtlap tentacles…" Hermione said. Harry wrapped his hand in his sleeve and left the forest with Hermione. "Do you know which one bit you? It might be greatly infected if it was a sick one. It wasn't a sick one, was it Harry?" Harry stopped walking. "Harry?"

"Maybe I'll be lucky and not get infected," Harry said calmly, not wanting to alert Hermione.

"Harry, I really think we should get Madam Pomfrey to look at it! She usually doesn't ask too many questions! Besides she knows you well, seeing as you're there _a lot_."

"Oh shut it! You had your share of Hospital residency, too," Harry said, joking. Hermione didn't answer. The forest gradually became brighter and less dark. Soon they were back in the sunshine, and lucky that practice was still going on. Then the oddest thing happened. Harry was looking at Hermione and there were words and numbers floating above her head. He rubbed his eyes and squinted, yet they were still there.

"January 29, 2083??" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry wondered out loud.

"What's what supposed to mean?" Hermione asked him.

"There's a date, above your head…January 29, 2083…question mark, question mark." Hermione looked at him oddly and looked above her head. She was staring right at it, but couldn't see it.

"Harry? What do you mean? Have you gone off your rocker?"

"I don't know it's just…" Harry stopped talking as they passed two other students. They too had dates above their heads. "What's going on?"

"Harry, I think you're hallucinating. We better get you to the Hospital Wing fast," Hermione said, grabbing him by the arm. Harry felt she may have been right, but he couldn't help but notice that every single person he passed had a date above their heads, though they were all far dates in the mid and late second millennium. They passed Professor McGonagal on the way.

[A/N: It has been rumored, though I'm not sure if confirmed, that Harry was born in 1980 and his age matches his year at Hogwarts plus 10. So his 1st year was when he turned eleven on July 31, 1991. You'll see why I address this…]

"Good Afternoon," she said as Harry stared above her head. The date was dated June of 1996 with three question marks. That was this year!

"Professor McGonagal, is anything special happening this month?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter! I didn't expect that you, being a fifth year, would forget your O.W.L.s! Why would you ask such a thing?"

"I, uh…Never mind," Harry said as Hermione pulled him.

"Hermione, Professor McGonagal's date was this year."

"Harry, you're going mad! This is worse than I thought!" They finally made it to the Hospital Wing, and like they hoped, Madam Pomfrey didn't ask too many questions. He had to stay overnight so it could properly heal.

The next morning, Madam Pomfrey, whose date was August 17, 2057, gave him a copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry flipped through for any news concerning You-Know-Who and found none, which he expected. Though he found it very interesting when looking at the Obituaries. The pictures of the wizards and witches who had died all had yesterday's date above them. Harry's eyes grew big. Hermione suddenly came bustling in holding a very old tattered book from the library.

"Harry! Those dates!" Hermione gasped, dropping the book into his lap. She began to explain, but Harry interrupted.

"I know…" Hermione's eyes began to tear. Harry looked down at the book.

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A bite from a Thestral that is close to death causes the one bitten to foresee Death dates of those around him, though not of himself. Most true Seers deny that this bite can give such a power to the common wizard, many of those infected have reported to have seen it. If properly treated, the victim of a Thestral bite will no longer see these dates, which usually appear above the head. In order to be properly infected, if one so unusually desires to, the victim must be able to see a Thestral and be bitten by a Thesrtal who is dying, though this is extremely difficult to find. Thestrals are very strong creatures that live very long lives, so to see a dying one would be as common as finding a needle in a haystack.

"We have to find, Professor McGonagal!" Harry said.

"We mustn't worry her with news like this! You've already told me my death day!" Hermione said, her eyes filled with tears.

"But what about the question marks?" Harry asked.

"Well, once you know the date of ones death, it is quite possible to change it. Besides, foreseeing the future is the most imprecise branch of magic, thus having the site of Death Days questionable." Harry felt a little better about this, for Professor McGonagal had three question marks and no numerical day.

[A/N: Death Month and Day, except for McGonagal, are totally random, so any odd coincidences are just that, coincidences.]

***

The next day, Monday, they had Potions, Divination, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Things went as dismal as usual, with boring potion mixing with Professor Snape and boring book reading with Professor, oh wait, Headmistress Umbridge. Harry was positively delighted to see that the date "February 13, 2007?" was Snape's date, though he was somewhat frightened, feeling this may be from working for the Order or fighting in a war. He hadn't told Ron yet, who was in a horrible mood these days due to his Quidditch playing. He hadn't spoken a word since after practice.

"Pass me the ginger roots, please," Harry said, Hermione grabbing the bowl. She hadn't said anything either, and told Harry not to even dare tell anyone the date floating above their heads. Harry tried very hard to not look at anyone's, even Malfoy's.

"I need some too," Ron finally said, after what seemed like weeks of silence. Harry's head snapped up to look at Ron, whose speech surprised Harry. This was a bad idea. The date "June of 1996???" hovered over the head of red hair. Harry's heart sunk. "What? Don't want to share, Harry?" Ron joked.

"It's…nothing," Harry said, looking down again at his potion. He glanced at Hermione and her face told him not to look at anyone again.

***

The days of June passed and Ron and Professor McGonagal seemed perfectly healthy. Hermione, who had been secretly mixing the potion to cure Harry, said the potion was nearly complete. She had a hard time of finding time to brew it, seeing as studying for their O.W.L.s pretty much swallowed their free time.

O.W.L. week came and the first exam was the written portion of Charms. Monday morning, they entered the Great Hall and found it was converted into a giant classroom. They all took their seats and Professor McGonagal, who was overseeing them, turned over the hourglass and told them to begin. Harry had a pretty easy time with this test and looked up to see the hourglass. He had totally forgotten his new power and saw that McGonagal's date changed to "June of 1996?" Thinking too much about Charms, he tried not to worry about it and continued his exams.

That night Hermione finished the potion.

"Hermione, I don't know if I should take this," Harry said.

"Why? You want to get rid of that…that…seeing power?"

"Yes, of course I do! It's just that, McGonagal's date had only one question mark this morning…"

"Harry! Don't tell me anything else!" Hermione said, clasping her hands over her ears. "Just drink the potion!" Harry couldn't argue with her and obeyed her command. "Now, it's going to take a few days for it to wear off. So try not to cause any more alarm."

Harry wished he didn't take the potion. The next day, he saw Hagrid and…

***

Tuesday morning, they were doing their practical exam of Care of Magical Creatures on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He did very well in this exam and was confident that he'd get top marks. His happiness seemed to drain when he saw Hagrid watching through the window, for above his head was June 12, 1996??, the very next day. Harry looked scared and shocked at the same time, but gave Hagrid the thumbs-up so not to alarm him.

"It's just the potion messing things up. That's all just that…" Harry said to himself, his face in his hands. He entered the common room and found Hermione studying for Astronomy for the next days' exams.

"Harry, you look flustered," Hermione said, peering above her book.

"I'm fine," Harry said, trying to stay calm. He picked up his Astronomy book from his bag and tried to study too, but Hagrid's sad face kept dancing in his mind. "No…no!" Harry slammed his book shut and chucked it across the room.

"I know how you feel, Harry," Neville said from next to him. "But you shouldn't let the exams get to you." Harry didn't have anything to say so he just crossed the room, picked up his book, and decided he had to warn Hagrid.

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"Out," Harry said gruffly, not wanting to be stopped.

"No, Harry! Umbridge would be furious!"

"I have to…just don't talk to me."

"Harry, no way! Come back-" He turned around to look at her and pretended to be reading something.

"Oh, it's a few days earlier…January 26th, 20-"

"No!" Hermione said, clasping her hands over her ears. "Just go then! If you get expelled, I'll be glad so that you can't act like Professor Trelawney for us!" She was crying and running to her dormitory. Neville just looked positively confused. Harry ignored him and left.

***

He didn't have the heart to tell Hagrid. He couldn't tell him he got bitten and saw that he predicted Hagrid would die the following day. Besides, it really was wearing off, for he couldn't even see Hermione's date, nor any of the later ones anyway. Though, Professor McGonagal's was still strongly showing as June of 1996?. Also, Peeves was prowling around in the entrance hall, and Harry couldn't leave without causing attention to himself.

The following night was their practical Astronomy O.W.L. exam. The night was going particularly well and Harry could've sworn Hagrid's date changed at dinner, so he felt better. Then it happened.

Watching from the tower, Harry, as well as his classmates, could see the horror unfold as Umbridge tried to forcefully remove Hagrid from the Hogwarts grounds. Harry felt his worse fear of the day had been confirmed. Hagrid was going to die from this. Then McGonagal came sprinting out. Harry caught the date, which was practically blinking in the night, "June 12, 1996?" Before he could yell, Hermione and Lavender already had. Five stunning spells just hit McGonagal and she fell to the ground.

Harry felt the world was crumbling. Dumbledore was gone. Hagrid was going to die. Professor McGonagal was most likely dead, though her date, still blinking, had a question mark. No one in the Order was there to help him. No one.

Harry looked wildly around for someone to help them. He wanted to jump from the tower and save Hagrid and check on McGonagal. But he couldn't. The Death Days flashed above their heads, but to Harry's astonishment, Hagrid had broke free from the guards Umbridge brought with her. His date flashed and the numbers and words spun and changed and faded before Harry could properly read it.

***

Professor McGonagal was sent to St. Mungo's Hospital. Harry heard snippets of rumors of her welfare, but didn't believe any of them. He looked at Ron, whose date had not faded with the others. It was less bright, but the next day he couldn't see it at all, due to the complete cure by the potion. He wished he hadn't taken that stupid potion.

A few days later, Harry had that dream. The dream of the Department of Mysteries. The dream where Sirius appeared to be tortured by You-Know-Who. If only Harry had been bitten before.

End…for now.

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Stupid? Not Enough? Unclear? Much needed Revision? What are your comments? If anyone wants to take over with this story if someone does want more, please e-mail me. Please Review and Thank you for Reading!


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